Ventilating means for refrigerators



1 March 7, 1933.

G. A. AYLSWORTH VENTILATING MEANS FOR REFRIGERATORS- Filed Jan. 12, 19312 Sheets-Sheet 1 @111 "via/11014 A TTORNE Y.

March 7, 1933. v swo -r 7 1,900,855

VENTILATING MEANS FOR REFRIGERATORS Filed Jan. 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 7, 1933 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE A.AYLSWOR'IH, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 COLD CONTROLCORPORATION, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURIVIHVTILATING MEANS FOR REFRIGIEIRATORS Applieatioa filed January 12,19.31. Serial No. 508,110.'

The present invention relates to refrigerating apparatus, and theprimary object in View is to devise means for improving the aircondition within the cooling or storage compartment of such apparatus,for the purpose of obtaining not only the proper refrigerating actionbut also preserving the refrigerated product in a more natural andwholesome condition, and untainted by exposure to other products in thesame compartment.

According to my invention, I provide means for maintaining a continuousflow of outside ventilating air through the refrigerating chamber, whichis kept otherwise closed to communication with the outside airexcept asit is admitted through the medium of my invention.

In accomplishing this purpose of my invention, I provide a devicewhereby separate paths are afforded the incoming and outgoing air, oneof which paths is maintained at a slightly different thermal state fromthat of the other path, with the result that there is thus produced acontinuous fiow of air into and out of the refrigerating chamber, withthe resultant advantages hereinafter described.

With the foregoing general objects in view, as well as various minorobjects as will appear in the course of the detailed specification, theinvention will now be described by reference to the accompanyingdrawings illustrating a practical application of my improvement, afterwhich those features and combinations deemed to be novel will be setforth and claimed.

' In the drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view, with portions brokenaway, illustrating arefrigerator cabinet having incorporated therein arefrigerating and ventilating construction embodying the presentimprovement:

Flgure 2 is a vertical sectional view Flgure 3 1s a rear perspectiveview of the refrigerating unit removed from the cabinet, with a cornerportion broken away;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a perspective detail of the ventilating structure,representing a section on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings inldetail, these illustrate the proposedimprovement in assembled relation to a refrigerator cabinet of ordinaryconstruction having a door 11 to provide access to the interior of thecabinet,

as well as a top cover member 12 for icing purposes. In the constructionillustrated, I

show the use of a dry ice unit of the same general type as illustratedin my copending application Serial Number 497,810, filed November 24,1930, the ,same being constructed ofsuitable sheet metal to provide anupper refrigerant chamber 13 for storage of solidified CO or dry ice 14,the chamber 13 being provided with a removable closure 15 to provideaccess to said chamber 13 by way of'the outside cover member 12. At eachend of the chamber 13, the unit is provided with a double-walledextension 17 providing a-gas space 18 communicating at its upper endwith a chamber 13, these extensions being designed to be positionedadjacent to the interior faces of the corresponding walls of the cabinet10, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. The rear portion of the cabinetis also of double-walled structure, as indicated at 22 and designed toextend across the interior surface of the rear wall of the cabinet, as

- shown in Figure 2, and providing a gas space the bottom opening 24 andthence rise through the space 23 at the rear of the unit, and finallyleave by said outlet opening 25.-

For controlling the circulation of the CO, gas, a damper or valveshutter 27 is rotatively mounted at each of the entrances to the gasflow passages 18, and each shutter provided with an operating arm 28which is pivotally connected, as indicated at 29, to an operating link30 at the back of the cabinet 10, one end of this link being operativelyconnected with a suitable thermostat device 32, as shown in Figure 3.The connections are such as to rotate these dampers or valve shutters 27in op- 5 passages .23, or in response to the changes in temperature inthe space around the thermo stat device 32.

For accomplishing the ventilating feature of my invention, I provide apassage 35 which I illustrate as located at the rear margin of one ofthe extensions 17 where this is joined to the front wall of the rearchamber 18. By this arrangement one side of the passage 35 is formed bythe front wall of the space 23, while the other side of said passage isformed by a partition 36 connecting the top and bottom extension walls17 which enclose the space 18, as shown in Figure 5. As a result of thisconstruction, one side of the passage 35 is obviously subjected to therelatively lower temperature of said space 18 while the other side ofthe passage is subjected to the relatively warmer temperature prevailingin the space 23, and counter flowing air currents will therefore beestablished in passage 35, as represented by the arrows in Figure 5. Asimilar result mi ht be obtained by a multiplicity of tubes an passages35, but I prefer the single passage arrangement as shown, if made largeenough to provide the necessary volume of circulation, for a minimum offriction is established for the air flow, and besides all dead airspaces, such as would result from separated air inlets and outlets, areentirely obviated.

It will therefore be apparent that the circulation of air will beproduced within the various refri crating compartments 40, substantiallyas lndicated by the arrows in Figure 2, from the passage 35 and backagain through the same passage, or to and from the space 16 around thechamber 13 in the top of the cabinet 10. Since the cover 12 may admit asmall quantity of air around its edges and is also removed from time totime for replenishing the ice 14, this will in most cases afford amplevent capacity for the air, although if deemed necessary a suitable ventopening to the exterior may be provided at any desired point. Thissupply of air and circulation of the same through the refrigeratingcompartment 40 is the essential feature which is required for keepingthe interior air from becoming stale and unwholesome, and furnishing thenecessary humidity for preserving the freshness and crispness of thefoods which tend to lose their moisture content if the air is allowed tobecome too dry. Then again the ventilating air current supplies themoisture necessary to absorb the various odors given off by thedifferent foods, thereby preventing one food product from becomingtainted with the odor of another food, which commonly happens with theprevailing type of unventilated refrigerating chambers. Another lViththe described construction food ar-1 ticles may be preserved in apractically ideal state without becoming tainted by circulated vapors orodors, and kept in this refrigerated state for any desired period.

While I have illustrated and described what is now regarded as thepreferred form of construction for embodying my present improvements,the other features of which are explained in my aforesaid copendingapplication, I desire to be understood as reserving the right to makewhatever changes or modi: fications may fairly fall within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a closed refrigerating chamber, arefrigerating unit in communication with said chamber, and meansproviding a single passageway constituting a combined air inlet andoutlet to said chamber, said passageway being contained entirely withinthe apparatus and having air-contacting surfaces partially exposed tothe chilling effect of the refrigerating unit for maintaining differentthermal states along the passageway and thereby inducing a continuousflow of ventilating air into and out of said chamber.

2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a closed refrigeratin chamber, arefrigeratin unit in communicat on with said chamber, an m ans providinga single passageway constituting a combined air inlet and outlet to saidchamber having various portions of said passageway maintained atdifferent thermal states for inducing a continuous flow of ventilatingair into and out of the chamber.

3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a closed refrigerating chamber, arefrigerating unit in communication with said chamber, and meansproviding a passage having one of its sides maintained at a differentthermal state from the other side of said passage for inducing acontinuous flow of ventilating air into and out of the chamber.

4. Refrigerating ap aratus comprising a closed refrigerating chamber, arefrigerating unit in communication with said chamber, and meansproviding a passage having one side thereof subjected to the coolinginfluence of said refrigerating unit and the other side of the passagesubjected to the relatively higher temperature of said chamber formaintaining a continuous flow of exterior air into and out of saidchamber.

5. Refrigerating a paratus comprising a closed refrigerating c amber, arefrigerating unit in communication with said chamber,

ventilating and means providing a vertical passage in communicationwiththe top of said chamber, one side of said passage being subjected to thecooling influence of said refrigerating umt and the other side of thepassage being subjected to the relatively higher temperature of saidchamber for maintainn a continuous flow of exterior ventilating air intoand out of said chamber.

6. A dry ice refrigerating unit comprising a casing structure providingan upper refrigerant chamber and outflow gas extensions of tubular-sheetform communicating with the bottom of said chamber and an upflow gasextension of tubular-sheet form communicating with the bottom of saidfirst extensions, and means providing an air ventilating passage havingthe sides thereof subjected to the influence of diflerent temperaturesas exerted by the refrigerating medium in difierent parts of said casingstructure.

7 A dry ice refrigerating unit comprising a casing structure providingan upper refrigerant chamber and a cooling compartment partiallyenclosed by a pair of outflow extensions of hollow-sheet formcommunicating with the bottom of said chamber and an upflowf gasextension of hollow-sheet form hetween saidfirst extensions andcommunicating with the lower ends thereof, and means providing anair'ventilating p having one side thereof sub'ected to the coo influenceof one of sai outflow extensions and the other side of the passagesubjected to the influence of the temperature in said upflow gasextension.

8. Adry ice refrigerating unit comprising a casing structure providingan upper refrigerant chamber and outflow gas extensions of tubular-sheetform communicating with the bottom of said chamber and an outflow gasextension of tubular-sheet form communicating with the bottom of saidfirst extensions, and means providing an air ventilating passage havinga portion of said upflow extension forming one side of said p and a Ipartition element forming the o posite side of said passage and searating t e same from the interior of one 0 said outflow extensions.

In witnesswhereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

GEORGE A. AYLSWORTH.

